Del Taco project problems continue

Del Taco wants to save its unworkable 24 hour drive-thru with an unworkable 21 hour drive thru!!

Less than 24 hours after an overwhelming neighborhood crowd decried plans for a 24 hour drive thru at the Shell Station on the corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower, Adam Fisher of Centerra Retail Group sent an email blast to emails of residents he collected at the meeting.  The email offered a compromise on the 24 hour drive-thru-21 hours!!!

The Fisher email blast began with " Dear Neighbors"  and continued with that they wanted to be "respectful neighbors".  Mr. Fisher wrote that they wanted to "revise their application for the 24 hour store to be more consistent to other quick service restaurants in the immediate vicinity"

Like the site map released the pervious day, this email too was full of  problems.

Aside from never using the word "fast food", Mr . Fisher also does not state what the new revised proposal is for the required CUP.

One person who received the email replied asking about the new hours and Mr. Fisher replied on his iPhone: "They'd like to be open from 5 am to 2 am".

That's right to be good neighbors on a residential street- Del Taco wants to be open 21 hours not 24 hours!

Trying to save the drive-thru CUP by giving up 3 hours has sent shock waves through the local social media all day.

Other problems with the email are its reference to being " more consistent"  with the other Los Altos fast food options.

The two other fast food restaurants in the "immediate vicinity" are the Mc Donald's at Bellflower and 23rd and the Wendy's at Stearns and Bellflower.

The Los Altos McDonalds is only directly street accessible from Bellflower-not 23rd Street. The drive-thru closes at 12 midnight Sunday-Thursday and at 1 am on Friday and Saturday.  It does not impact any residential area.

The Los Altos Wendy's is accessible from both the main streets Bellflower and Stearns- it too does not impact residential areas.  It is open from 9am-2 am seven days a week.

From the beginning, the Del Taco project has had a problem with the location.  Trying to fit both the required parking and the required length of the drive-thru lane required reworked plans by the city.  

The original city planner who denied the original plans left his job with the city.  Since his departure, the new planner has given the green light to a plan that people in the  neighborhood can easily see has numerous problems.

The current drive-thru lane (which must be approves by a CUP) completely closes off direct access to the project from the main street -Bellflower.  The only street access is from the regular sized residential street Abbeyfield.   That street is the only traffic light controlled exit and entrance from the neighborhood onto Bellflower-which is used to get from the neighborhood left onto the main street.

The proposed entrance to the site from Abbeyfield feeds directly into the drive-thru. The site map shows 4 car lengths to the speaker from the driveway entrance at Abbeyfield. More than 4 cars backed up waiting to order will block the street -the entrance to the neighborhood.

In addition, the bedrooms of single family homes are close to the drive-thru area, Just a few years ago the LB Planning Commission required the CUP of Taco Beach to close their Patio at 8pm because of the proximity to the homes and required the front door to be closed. The California ABC also included the restrictions in the ABC License.  The patio is directly across from the drive thru and the front door from the ordering speaker.

The Centerra Retail Group is also working on the new retail space at Ximeno and PCH.  Click on CRG

Neighborhood leaders have organized a demonstration on Saturday April 30th at 12 noon on the corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower.

Planning is underway to appeal any unfavorable decision to the City Council.

Bellflower Shell station owner still owns property

At the April 26th neighborhood  meeting, on the proposed Del Taco, one of the questions put to Mr. Fisher was -"Who owned the property?" . He refused to answer.

Public records show that Jacques Hattouni bought the property from ConocoPhillips in 2008 for $1.1 million and is the owner/operator of the Bellflower Shell. 

According to public records, Mr. Hattouni still owns the property.

Public records also show that in August of 2014, Mr. Hattouni was fined by the South Coast Air Quality Management District for violation of Rule 461.  That rule  required that by April 1,  2009:  "underground storage tanks be equipped with a certified Phase II Enhanced Vapor Recovery system"

For more information Click on

VIOLATION RECORD ( see pages 4 of 6 in sec 2) 

and RULE 461

Protest planned for 24 hour drive-thru on residential street

Protest planned for this Saturday

Neighborhood crowd comes out against proposed 24 hour Del Taco Drive-thru

Over 60 people attended a neighborhood meeting on April 26 called by 4th District Councilman Daryl Supernaw about the proposed 24 hour Drive-thru at the Shell Station property at the corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower Blvd.

Representatives from the architectural firm hired to make the plans and representatives from Del Taco attended the meeting to answer questions.

The development plans presented ( the first time the neighborhood saw the plans) completely eliminate the current two driveways into the Shell gas station from Bellflower.

With the elimination of the two driveways onto the property from Bellflower, the map presented shows that the residential street of Abbeyfield will be the major entrance and exit by a surface street to the facility and access to the planned 24 hour drive thru.

The Del Taco representatives stated that 60% of their sales come from the drive-thru.

The other major entrance and exit- the South Alley  is  one of two only two Bellflower entrances and exits serving the parking lot behind the Los Altos South Shopping Center and the Los Altos Professional Building.  

The only entrance for cars traveling north on Bellflower would be making a left onto Abbeyfield from Bellflower and entering the property from Abbeyfield- a residential street.

The traffic signal at Abbeyfield is the major exit onto Bellflower Blvd. for the neighborhood.   

  

The Del Taco Abbeyfield driveway would be across from the Taco Beach driveway and a single family home.

The drive-thru speaker will be on the corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower facing away from the building and toward the single family bedrooms of the adjacent homes on Daggett Street and the nearest home on Abbeyfield.

A Conditional Use Permit for the 24 hour drive-thru must be approved by the City Planning Commission.   A Public Hearing on that CUP is scheduled for Thursday May 5, 2016 at City Hall.

Residents attending the neighborhood meeting peppered the Del Taco representatives with questions regarding  traffic, parking and noise issues related to the drive-thru. 

Contaminated soil was also discussed with the developers stating they had a letter from the EPA approving the removal of the tanks and the construction. 

When asked by one resident what the company was willing to compromise on with the neighbors- the representative stated that having menu items at prices below a dollar means that they have to sell a lot of items. 

Neighborhood leaders have called for a peaceful picketing of the proposed site for this Saturday April 30th at 12 noon. Residents are urged to meet at the corner of Abbeyfield and Bellflower and to bring friends and neighbors. 

Planned Entrance to Del Taco from Abbeyfield looking across to Taco Beach driveway and Abbeyfield family homes-with current inpacted parking during non-peak hours clearly shown

Abbeyfield Single Family Home looking at yellow Shell Station

View from bedroom of home on Daggett St-Abbeyfiled home on left

Supernaw calls meeting on 24 hr Del Taco

Councilman Supernaw calls neighborhood meeting on proposed 24 hour Del Taco in Los Altos neighborhood

Within two days of the residents in the Los Altos Center Adjacent Neighborhoods ( LACAN)  receiving a notice for a May 5^th Public Hearing for a proposed new 24 hour fast food restaurant,  Councilman Daryl Supernaw has arranged for a neighborhood meeting on the proposed project for next week.

In his Weekly Newsletter, 4^th District Councilman announced that the meeting on the proposed 24 hour Del Taco at the corner of  Abbeyfield St. and Bellflower Blvd. at  the site of the Shell Gas Station. 

The meeting will take place next Tuesday April 26 at the Los Altos Library.

Councilman Supernaw wrote:

This week, neighbors near the gas station at Bellflower and Abbeyfield were informed that a plan to build a Del Taco on the site will be on the May 5^th Planning Commission Agenda.  To get details to the neighborhood prior to the Commission Meeting, I have scheduled a community meeting for next Tuesday, April 26 at the Los Altos Library at 5:30 pm. We will have the developer on hand to answer any questions and listen to comments from the neighborhood.

To view the complete newsletter CLICK ON :SUPERNAW

24 Hour drive-thur next to family homes?

Del Taco wants a 24 Hour drive-thru restaurant for Shell Gas at Abbeyfield  and Bellflower Streets

Residents near the corner of Bellflower and Abbeyfield have received a Planning Commission Public Hearing notice about a Conditional Use Permit for a planned 24 Hour 2000 square foot Del Taco restaurant where the Shell Gasoline station is at 2103 N Bellflower Blvd.

Ironically, the Planning Commission Hearing for the proposed fast-food Mexican food restaurant  is scheduled on Cinco de Mayo May 5, 2016 at 6:00 pm.
The written notice received today gives a deadline of "no later than 10 days" to include materials in the Planning Commissioners mailed packet-and up until 1:00 pm on May 5th to be included in the Commissioners Agenda folder. The materials must be delivered to City Hall to be included. 

The project sits at the opening to the adjacent neighborhoods close to numerous homes at the corner of  Abbeyfield and Bellflower. 

According to sources familiar with the project, the project was delayed because city officials required that the first plans for the restaurant be redone. 

The proposed placement of the drive-thru ordering and windows is at this time unknown.

The proposed location is directly across from the Los Altos Taco Beach.  It is with-in one mile of Great Mex,  Chronic Tacos, Taco Bell and the current location of Del Taco at Palo Verde and Stearns. Unconfirmed reports are that the Del Taco at Stearns and Palo Verde will be moving to the new location. That location is in a strip mall, not next to family homes.

Neighborhood leaders are planning on holding a meeting on the proposal before the Planning Commission meeting. 

Noise violation fees and Cambodian New Year

JetBlue Noise Ordinance violation fees approach quarter million dollar mark for 1st part of 2016

In response to growing noise complaints, Fourth District Councilman Daryl Supernaw released in this week's 4th District weekly newsletter, the paid fee violation totals for JetBlue's ongoing violations of the Long Beach Noise Ordinance.

In the first three months of 2016,  JetBlue has racked up a total of $246,900 according to figures from  Long Beach City Prosecutor Doug Haubert's office cited in the Supernaw newsletter. (Click on NEWSLETTER)

Just in March, the figures show that JetBlue racked up $114,900 in Noise Ordinance violation fees. That March total is 46.5% of the total JetBlue fees for its 2016 noise ordinance violations.

So far in 2016, every month has shown an increase in Noise Ordnance violation fees paid by JetBlue.

In January JetBlue paid $48,000 in Noise Ordinance violation fees (19.4% of 2016 total) and in February those fees were $84,000 (34.1% of the 2016 total).

The February 2016  Noise Ordinance violation fees paid by JetBlue represent a 75% increase over their January violation fees.  The March 2016 Noise Ordinance violation fees paid by JetBlue represent a 36.8% increase over the February fees and a 139.4% increase over the January violation fees the airline paid.  

The Noise Ordinance sets the fees for violations.  Legal experts agree that any attempt to invrease the fees could jepodize the Noise Ordinance. 

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Sylvan Learning comes to Los Altos

Sylvan Learning Center replaces Carpet One in 

Los Altos Center

A Sylvan Learning Center will  occupy the former John Bloeser Carpet One store. Located at 5510 E Britton Dr. next to the EJ Malloy's Pub at the Centre Court building in the Los Altos Center South.

The new Long Beach location will offer tutoring, academic camps during school breaks and Lego "robotic birthday parties" for young children.

Sylvan Learning Centers started in Portland, Oregon in 1979. It quickly grew to hundreds of franchise centers and was bought out by different education investment  business entities.  In 2003 it was bought by New York based private equity firm Apollo Global Management that specializes in distressed companies. Reorganized as Educate Inc., the company now has over 600 franchises. 

The Long Beach location is a major investment. According to the corporate website, a  Sylvan franchise costs between $159,000 -$283,000 and requires franchisees to have over $250,000 net worth plus $75,000 liquidity. 

For More Information click on:

Long Beach Sylvan
Academic Camps
Robotic Parties
Sylvan Franchise requirements 

Airplanes vs Leaf Blowers

 Long Beach 3rd District concerns over leaf blowers noise and pollution-Hey try airplanes!

In case you missed the latest noise controversy in Long Beach, it's coming out of the upscale 3rd District neighborhoods of  Belmont Shore and Belmont Heights. No not late night JetBlue flights...but a campaign against the upscale problems associated with leaf blowers. The  Campaign Against Leaf Blowers has been playing out on the editorial page and letters to the editor of the Grunion Gazette.

Councilwomen Suize Price

In the February 26, 2016 Grunion Gazette community editorial called Another View ,  Long Beach Third District Councilwomen Suzie Price and Belmont Heights Community Association Board member John Shisko  co-authored    ANOTHER VIEW: Is It Time To Ban Leaf Blowers?  (Click on: Another View). In the opinion piece, the two lay out a quality-of-life argument about the noise and environmental impact of  leaf blowers and ring an alarm to begin the process of outlawing them in Long Beach:

"We know that you have all experienced the noisy buzzing of a leaf blower in a neighbor’s yard while you tried to rest, read or enjoy time in your home. It is well documented that leaf blowers produce extreme levels of nuisance noise and air pollution. Volume exceeds 75 decibels at 50 feet, and landscapers often run two or more simultaneously."

One missing fact in their writing is that the councilwomen and community advocate seem at that time of the writing to be unaware of the current LB Noise Ordinance  8.80.20 against early morning leaf blowing activities (enforced by the LB Noise Control Officer) outlawing blowing within 400 feet of a residence M-F before 7 am, Saturday before 9 am and Sunday before 11 am.  Price and Shisko write:

"The city might also consider enacting a leaf blower noise ordinance where hours of operation are restricted to a specific period of time during the week when people are less likely to be home.

Perhaps a restriction could be placed on weekend landscaping services when many families are home and may become perturbed by noisy leaf blowers."

Honestly we understand most residents may not know they are protected by ordinance from a multitude of noise (click on LB Noise Control) that is strictly enforced by the  Long Beach Noise Control Officer.   Sadly however, residents of the 4th District and 8th District have empathy with noise ordinance violations as we live daily with them.  The other  Long Beach Noise Ordinance- Long Beach Airport Noise Ordnance   that 4th and 8th District residents daily look to for protection " to rest, read or enjoy time in your home"  is routinely broken by the airlines and appears to be constantly under attack.

Meanhile, the residents of the two airport impacted districts, must remain forever vigil against the constant threat of losing in  a court procedure the only ordinance that is designed to protect us .

In subsequent editions of the Grunion Gazette the Campaign Against Leaf Blowers  has morphed into an all out District 3 War Against Noise in the published letters to the editors on the subject.  In the most recent edition of March 17, 2016 in the Our Mailbox  section (click on Mailbox) under the banner of Quality of Life, Belmont Heights resident Kevin Doherty writes:

"Growing numbers of residents in Belmont Heights, weary of leaf blowers have banded together. It will not be long before Long Beach takes long overdue action to outlaw these machines. The loud noise, gasoline exhaust, debris storms shuffling trash from lawn to street or someone else’s property makes no sense at all. The practice compromises quality of life for many of us while we walk or when we are indoors."

Without trying to sound glib Mr. Doherty, welcome to our world of the 4th and 8th districts- the world of daily airlines that to many of your fellow citizens daily compromises quality of life for many of us while we walk or when we are indoors."

Mr. Doherty does not stop with leaf blowers- he goes on to write:

"High decibel music, thunderously booming bass beats from inside cars parked on neighborhood streets at night shakes our house windows, is clearly harmful to the ears of passengers, and wakes us up at night. This is lunacy and guess who will have to foot the medical bills for these masochists when they lose their hearing?

Another area of growing concern is the flagrant violation of municipal codes regarding pet ownership. Increasing numbers of dogs, sometimes several per household, have resulted in epidemic levels of loud barking that often goes unnoticed and unchecked by pet owners. Dog barking steals the sanctity of our interior space, undermines fundamentals of sleep, peaceful meals, indoor conversation, study time and our need to unwind after a hard day at work."

While trying to protect the  Long Beach Airport Noise Ordnance the 4th and 8th District residents are often taken to task as NIMBY's -standing in the way of progress, or ridiculed for buying a home in an area of the city that has a flight path.  This despite the fact that when most bought homes, the flights were less and the airport was smaller.  Just imagine if those same arguments were levied against the upscale neighborhoods that Councilwomen Price represents:

The NIMBY's of the Shore and Belmont Heights knew when they moved into their houses that the trees, plants, grass and bushes were there, and that they would grow and need to be trimmed, and that landscape companies used leaf blowers for homes in neighborhoods where people were  accustomed  to having a lawn service...now they want to turn back progress!   

Of course, the residents of the Shore and Belmont Heights would be rightly indignant at such arguments-as are the residents of the 4th and 8th Districts who suffer these characterizations from airport expansionists.

We do respect Long Beach Third District Councilwomen Suzie Price and Belmont Heights Community Association Board member John Shisko focus on quality of life issues- it is something that the 4th and 8th District residents are too painfully aware. We also remember that Councilwomen Price supported the 4th and 8th District's request that the JetBlue International Airport item not be taken up by the Long Beach City Council until after the Special Election that gave the 4th District voice.   The issues that Councilwomen Price and Mr. Shisko make in their co-authored    ANOTHER VIEW: Is It Time To Ban Leaf Blowers?  are valid: quality of life; nuisance noise; and air pollution.  However, they are valid for all of  Long Beach and something that the 4th and 8th Districts have been fighting about for years-for our homes, our schools and our outdoor gathering places.   

Taking liberty with  Councilwomen Price and Mr. Shisko's writing, below we have changed their original Grunion Gazette community editorial by taking out the leaf blowing references and changing them (italicized underlined bold text) to airport verbiage (with white highlghted hyper links to citations) to illustrate our point that quality of life, nuisance noise, and air pollution are shared Long Beach values:

_________________________________________________________

ANOTHER VIEW:

Is It Time To Ban the International Terminal?

Not another international airport..

We know that you have all experienced the noisy buzzing of a helicopter, small plan or jetliner while you tried to rest, read or enjoy time in your home. It is well documented that aircraft produce extreme levels of nuisance noise and air pollution. Airbus jet models can exceed 100 decibels and often land or take-off in succession.

The Enviormental Protection Agency states that this noise level degrades quality of life. While the noise seems to be everywhere and at all times, when it comes to aircraft, the polition that these devices create cannot be ignored.  Recent studies sugjest that aircraft cause more CO2 emissions that contribute more  to global warming gases than all the planet's automobiles combined. Flying turns out to be on the average 50 times worst than driving in terms of five-year global warming impacts.

In sum, these airports transfer people from one place to another-often ending up leaving the airport city for other destinations. Other than speedy transfer of international travelers from point A to point B, there are really no benifits to an international terminal at the Long Beach Airport.

Statewide, there are already 10 international airports: Sacramento, Oakland, San Francisco, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, and San Diego. Six of the 10 are in Southern California: Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario, San Bernardino, Palm Springs, and San Diego. Both Los Angeles and Orange County are within 30 minutes of Long Beach. One of the international airports has a passenger terminal, but no passenger flights- San Bernardino International.

Considering whether to allow an international terminal in a city can be controversial. Some people want the airport to expand at all costs and therefore choose to overlook the negative effects of an international terminal. Yet, in a city with one of the largest and busiest ports in the world, Long Beach should consider the positive enviormental outcomes in denying an international terminal could have on reducing the total amount of particulate matter in the city's atmosphere.

Certainly, there are alternatives avaiable for Long Beach. In addition to the option of a total ban of international flights, the city could also look at requiring airlines to invest in cleaner fuel technology, and quieter aircraft models, which would help mitigate some negative impacts. 

Perhaps a restriction could be placed on weekend airport flights when many families are home and may become perturbed by noisy aircraft.

Homeowners who favor the international terminal  should also consider the economic repercussions that allowing an  international terminal  could have on the giant airline companies. While  driving to Los Angeles or Orange County  is without a doubt more environmentally friendly, they are significantly less appealing. The consumer may have to absorb a higher cost to balance the additional time incurred in travel.

In our opinion, the negative impacts of the international terminal and noise pollution generated by aircraft far outweigh any benefits to their operators or to the homeowners that pay for the service.

In a city and climate where heat wave records are being broken in the heart of an El Niño season, fall and winter are not producing seasonal changes that lead to large quantities of international travelers. There rarely seems to be an appropriate occasion where another international terminal could speed up the urge for international travel.

It seems that the Long Beach Airport as it is, can be effective and are far less polluting.

We want to know what you think. Please let us know how you feel about an international terminal by sending us an email at district3@longbeach.gov.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Councilwomen Price, Mr. Shisko, Mr. Doherty and other we can assure you, the residents of the 4th and 8th share your pain on noise and the quality of life because our quality of life battle is a daily constant occurrence over our heads.  

To paraphrase Mr. Doherty's  ending of his 3/17/16 Letter to the Editor in the Grunion Gazette:

 We work hard and pay dearly to own homes in Los Altos, Stearns Park, Aircraft Manor, Bixby Knolls and California Heights. We deserve basic human consideration and quality of life guaranteed under law.

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